The catalytic hydrogenolysis of chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons is known in the art. For example, J. L. Bitner et al., (U.S. Dep. Comm. Off. Tech. Serv/Rep. 136732, (1958), pp. 25-27) have reported the hydrogenolysis of 1,2-dichlorotetrafluoroethane (i.e., CClF.sub.2 CClF.sub.2 or CFC-114) to 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (i.e., CHF.sub.2 CHF.sub.2 or HFC-134). British Patent Specification 1,578,933 illustrates that mixtures of C.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 F.sub.4 isomers can be subjected to hydrogenolysis over a particulate catalyst of palladium on charcoal (which was intimately mixed with glass helices to prevent clogging) or over palladium on alumina, to mixtures of C.sub.2 H.sub.2 F.sub.4 isomers. When using such catalysts, it is reported that when the organic starting material is CFC-114 the reaction product usually comprises a mixture of the two isomers of tetrafluoroethane. It is further disclosed that an alumina support is especially useful for the manufacture of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (i.e., CF.sub.3 CH.sub.2 F or HFC-134a) while an activated carbon support is especially useful for the manufacture of a mixture of HFC- 134a and HFC-134. U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,060 discloses a process wherein CFC-114a contained in mixtures of CFC-114 and CFC-114a is selectively degraded to provide CFC-114 substantially free of CFC-114a. The process includes contacting, in the vapor phase, an organic feed composition containing a major amount of the 1,2-isomer and a minor amount of the 1,1-isomer with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrodechlorination catalyst.
It is well known that the hydrogenolysis of compounds such as C.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 F.sub.4 to replace chlorine by hydrogen produces hydrogen chloride as a co-product and that loss of fluorine (e.g., to produce C.sub.2 H.sub.3 F.sub.3) can produce HF as a by-product.